Login to your account

The animated film festival cancels Kobe Bryant's invitation after the protest

adminOctober 18, 2018

ARCHIVE: In this archive photo on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant gestures while moderating a panel on youth sports during the Aspen Institute's Project Play Summit in Washington. Kobe Bryant was excluded from the jury of an animated film festival after calls for the ex-NBA star's expulsion for a rape complaint in 2003. The CEO of the organization behind the Animation Film Festival is said in A statement on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 that the festival stakeholders decided to leave Bryant to keep his focus on the movies. Less

ARCHIVE: In this archive photo on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant gestures while moderating a panel on youth sports during the Aspen Institute's Project Play Summit in Washington. … Plus

Photo: Alex Brandon, AP

ARCHIVE: In this archive photo on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant gestures while moderating a panel on youth sports during the Aspen Institute's Project Play Summit in Washington. Kobe Bryant was excluded from the jury of an animated film festival after calls for the ex-NBA star's expulsion for a rape complaint in 2003. The CEO of the organization behind the Animation Film Festival is said in A statement on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 that the festival stakeholders decided to leave Bryant to keep his focus on the movies. Less

ARCHIVE: In this archive photo on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant gestures while moderating a panel on youth sports during the Aspen Institute's Project Play Summit in Washington. … Plus

Photo: Alex Brandon, AP

The animated film festival cancels Kobe Bryant's invitation after the protest

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Kobe Bryant retired Wednesday from the jury of an animated film festival after calls for the ex-NBA star's expulsion for a 2003 rape.

Eric Beckman, CEO of GKIDS, the company that organizes the Animation Is Film Festival, announced the move.

"After discussions with the various actors of Animation Is Film, the decision was made to remove Kobe Bryant from the 2018 jury, Beckman said in a statement." We are a young organization and it is important to keep our collective energies focused on the films, the participating filmmakers and our festival attendees. "

An online petition had been circulating demanding that Bryant be abandoned.

Bryant won an Academy Award in March for his part in the making of the animated short film "Dear Basketball" and has founded an animation company, Granity Studios.

He issued a statement saying that he was honored to be invited and disappointed to be excluded.

"This decision motivates me even more and my commitment to building a studio that focuses on diversity and inclusion in storytelling for the animation industry," said Bryant's statement. "I remain focused on changing the world in a positive way through various stories, characters and leadership, to inspire the next generation."

In 2003, Bryant was accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee.

The Lakers star said he believed it was a consensual sexual encounter. The case was abandoned after Bryant's accuser refused to testify.

Later, he filed a civil lawsuit against him, which was settled out of court and Bryant did not admit guilt.